Escrow for the Education sector
Educational institutions are rapidly digitalizing. Systems for student information, digital learning environments, assessment, scheduling, libraries and access control must always be available and meet strict standards for privacy, continuity and archiving.
Escrow prevents dependency on a single supplier and ensures continuity of education, administration and access to digital resources.
Escrow in Education
From class schedules to diplomas, education runs on reliable software. Universities, colleges and vocational institutions rely on dozens of digital systems to support their educational processes, communication, exams and funding. These systems often hold sensitive information about students and staff. But what happens if a critical software supplier goes out of business or stops maintaining the system?
The continuity of education and protection of data must never be compromised.
Escrow from Escrow4all ensures that institutions retain access to source code, documentation, data files and configurations — even if a supplier fails.
This also supports compliance with laws and regulations such as data protection legislation, archiving obligations and information security standards, including the international ISO standard and Dutch baseline requirements for information security in education.
1) Digital education systems as critical infrastructure
Assessment, academic advice, learning environments, registrations and scheduling all depend on software.
With escrow for software, data and cloud services, you secure everything needed to continue operations in case a supplier drops out.
This includes source code, system settings, integrations and connections to systems like student information systems or national enrollment platforms.
2) Collaboration in digital chains requires continuity
Educational institutions increasingly collaborate in digital ecosystems involving external suppliers, government bodies and platforms.
Escrow makes it possible to retain access to essential systems when something goes wrong.
We also define how a secure and verifiable transition to a new supplier can take place.
3) Transparency in procurement and balanced rights
Escrow aligns with the procurement policies of educational institutions.
Intellectual property stays with the supplier, but the institution gets guaranteed access to what it needs to keep going.
This prevents vendor lock-in, allows for supplier transitions and encourages the use of open technologies.
We assist with suitable clauses and contract language for procurement processes.
4) Complying with laws and standards
Escrow helps meet important legal and regulatory requirements, such as:
The Dutch standard for information security in education
Data protection laws on data minimization and access control
The new European directive on digital security for essential processes
Obligations around archiving and accountability
Our reports support audits and give administrators clear insight into risks and recovery options.
5) What we secure for education
Source code and configurations of administrative systems, learning environments, assessment software and scheduling tools
Documentation on integrations, data exchange and platform connections
Instructions for data migration, data models and export procedures
Continuity arrangements for cloud services and vendors
Emergency procedures, fallback scenarios and recovery instructions
6) Verification with attention to educational workflows
We verify that the deposited materials are usable and up to date.
This includes testing whether the software can be installed, whether data is processed correctly, and whether the system can be restarted in another environment.
That way, you can be confident that restarting operations will actually work in practice.
7) Implementation in three steps
Inventory and define the systems, processes, recovery time objectives and release conditions
First deposit and verification of materials for completeness and reproducibility
Ongoing updates, checks and reporting via a secure environment
Partners within the Education sector
n education, reliable digital access is essential.
Institutions must always have access to their learning environments, administrative systems and testing tools — even if a supplier stops operating.
Together with our partners in the education sector, Escrow4all ensures reliable and lasting access to these critical systems.
Every client is unique. That’s why we follow a proven, tailored procedure:
Analyses
Insight into your specific business case and requirements.
Advice
Tailored recommendations based on our expertise and years of experience.
Execution
A secured, technical and legal implementation process.
Frequently Asked Questions – Escrow in Education
Educational institutions rely heavily on digital systems for administration, teaching, assessment and communication.
Think of student information systems, learning environments, testing platforms and scheduling tools.
If a supplier ceases operations or an application becomes unavailable, it can directly impact the continuity of education.
With escrow, you ensure guaranteed access to source code, data and documentation — so critical processes can continue, even if the supplier fails.
Yes. Escrow helps institutions demonstrably comply with legal and regulatory frameworks such as:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The Dutch Baseline for Information Security in Education (BIO)
The European NIS2 directive on digital resilience
Escrow shows that you have taken proactive steps in information security, digital continuity and supplier risk management.
If a software supplier fails or a system becomes unusable for an extended time, escrow allows access to the source code and critical documentation.
This enables internal IT teams or external providers to:
Restart or migrate the application
Fix bugs or make necessary adjustments
Keep educational and examination processes running
Maintain access to and usability of data
This prevents study delays, administrative disruptions and reputational damage.
Educational institutions often use custom software — for example, to analyze assessments, monitor learning progress or integrate with systems like DUO.
With escrow, the intellectual property remains protected for the developer, while your institution is guaranteed access in case of emergency.
This creates a healthy balance between ownership, innovation and operational security.
Escrow is relevant for:
Universities, colleges and vocational education providers
Examination boards and testing providers
EdTech vendors and education-focused software developers
IT and functional management teams in schools and institutions
Procurement and legal departments during tenders
The cost of an escrow agreement depends on the type of software, the number of systems involved and the desired level of verification (e.g. a build test or functional check).
You can easily request a price indication or schedule a free consultation through our website.
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